A Father's Duty
by Buckhunter The Race Horse
Summary: Every father has a duty to his child, but whether he chooses to fulfill it or not is a completely separate issue. One-Shot. During On Stranger Tides.


**A/N: On Stranger Tides alternate ending to battle of the Fountain.**

**A Father's Duty**

The cry and sound of a blade meeting flesh rang out before anyone saw the protruding sword withdraw back through the man's right breast. His knees gave out and he fell to them before falling forward onto his stomach. Everything went silent.

Then another cry rang out as the man who stabbed the latter was given the consequence he deserved: a stab through his own torso. The black-bearded man gasped as he collapsed, his killer standing over him with a triumphant smile, declaring the man's crew as his. Walking past the first man, he looked down at him mournfully.

"Hector…" The man panted out, looking up at him with a pained expression.

"I'm sorry, Jack." Hector Barbossa told him quietly, beginning to head towards the exit of the cavern.

"Wait! Hector, wait!" Captain Jack Sparrow called after him desperately, not wanting to be left behind. "Wait, mate!" The older man ignored his calls and kept course away from him. The injured man shouted after him as loud as his lungs would let him. "HECTOR!"

But the other man wasn't going to turn back. Barbossa vanished in the mist of the cavern, as did the black-bearded man's crew.

All fell silent and the injured man could hear the sniffling of a crying woman. He knew who it was. He knew her well enough to know she'd not go off with her father's killer. She'd probably take her anger and grief out on someone. And the only other living man in the cavern was himself, already struggling to keep his eyes open through the pain of his wound.

And he was right.

Jack felt the cool metal of a sword against his neck. He already knew that there was no hope for him, as the only ship near the island was the _Queen Anne's Revenge_, in which Barbossa was now captain of. He'd be left to lie there and starve. The metal against his neck trembled, the owner's hands shaking from the loss of her father. He felt it, but didn't have the care to try to convince her not to kill him. "Jus' get it over with."

His voice had almost no tone to it, except for the hopelessness he'd not bothered to hide. And that hopelessness was probably the reason that the sword pulled away from his throat moments later. He heard it hit the stone with a clatter.

The man was disappointed. He'd honestly hoped that she would kill him swiftly and quickly, so that he wouldn't have to suffer for weeks until his body could no longer support itself. He gazed back at the cavern entrance in despair and anger. "BARBOSSA!" He roared at it, the echo rebounding just as loud. He begun to drag himself towards the entrance with his little remaining strength, only to miss seeing a short drop into a pool of water and efficiently drenching himself as he fell into it. His wound stung and he could only move as far as to get to the edge of the pool and rest his upper body on the cool stone.

Moments later, Jack could hear water sloshing in his direction. It was coming from the entrance of the cavern. But he didn't move. Didn't even raise his head to see who it was. A voice rang out. A familiar one; one he'd know all his life. The Keeper of the Code of the Brethren Court. Captain Edward Teague, his father. But the latter's upset mind couldn't pull the voice to a name.

"Oh no...Oh, Jackie."

The man called to someone else and there were a couple of shouts in reply, followed by more water sloshing his way, quicker. He was hauled to his feet by the arms, pain flying through his chest. He cried out, a strangled noise that died in his throat. He managed to yank his left arm free, elbowing the man who's held in sharply in the gut. He then slammed his fist into the other man's face, wrenching his other arm free and stumbling away from the pair of men.

It was a useless attempt, as a third man grabbed him from behind, around the chest, squeezing him tightly. Growling inhumanely, Jack struggled to tear himself free, but to no avail. The man had an iron grip on him. He kept trying to slip and wrestle out of the man's grasp, only wasting his little energy.

"It's me! Jackie, it's me!" His attacker shouted in his ear.

Not comprehending who it was, he growled back,"Let me go!"

"It's _me_, boy!" The other man snapped.

Recognition finally soared through the latter and he stopped struggling. Panting and gasping for air, he gave in, leaning into his father. The older man's arms loosened around him so that it no longer felt as if he were being squeezed to death. Air came quickly after that and soon all was quiet. Apparently during his struggle, the woman had been escorted out.

"What are ye doin' 'ere?" Jack finally asked, after a long silence.

"'S soon as I heard ye were dragged aboard the _Revenge_, I had my men make sail after 'er." Teague answered. "Didn't know why Teach wanted ye, but I reckoned it wasn't good. Turns out I was right."

"'Course ye were right." He answered, glancing down at his crimson stained shirt. "I didn't see 'im behind me. Then Barbossa killed 'im an' left me to rot 'ere."

"'S that why ye were yellin' after 'im?"

"Aye."

"Ye'll be alright, Jackie." The man started to lead him out of the cave. "Let's get ye to the camp my men set up an' ye'll get patched up."

"Why'd ye come after me?"

"It's a father's duty to look after 'is child, as Teach never did to 'is daughter."


End file.
